THE YOUNG MAN: (_Eagerly_) Are you growing fond of literature?
JULIE: If it's not too ancient or complicated or depressing. Same way
with people. I usually like 'em not too ancient or complicated or
depressing.

Abe KÃ´bÃ´ (pron. "AH-bay KOH-boh") (1924-1993) stands out dramatically from his contemporaries in postwar Japanese literature. His works bear no resemblence to the subjective, ultra-realistic and autobiographical style that characterizes a great deal of postwar literature in general and postwar Japanese literature in particular. Abe's novels are what he is best known for in and out of Japan, despite his highly acclaimed short stories, avant-garde plays (often staged by his own theater troupe, which occupied most of his time throughout the 1970s), and his work as a photographer and sometimes composer. It was Suna no onna (Woman in the Dunes) that first brought Abe to the attention of the international community. Or, rather, it was Teshigahara Hiroshi's film adaptation of the novel that, along with a prize at the Cannes film festival, helped make Abe known abroad. Read more about this fascinating author here.

A look at the life and legacy of jazz genius Kay Kyser, who called North Carolina his home. This multimedia site looks back at Kyser's achievments, from his childhood in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to his last days in Chapel Hill. It includes a narrative of his life, photographs from movies and public appearances, samples of his most notable recordings, excerpts from his interviews and reminiscences from his loved ones. Kyser was well-known for his ebullience and humor. We hope you enjoy this unofficial tribute to his life as much as he apparently enjoyed living it.

New York Women Composers, Inc. is a New York not-for-profit corporation controlled by its members, all of whom are women composers of serious concert music or are women in musical occupations who support the composers in their efforts to be recognized. The mission of New York Women Composers, Inc. is the betterment of conditions for all women composers. This in turn depends on the climate of acceptance for women composers in general rather than for a few notables, whose successes are often used to dismiss the claims of other women. The goal of New York Women Composers, Inc. is for music by women to succeed because of merit, regardless of a composer's gender. Activities include concerts, the online catalog, networking, and member-initiated endeavors.

William Friday was the president of the University of North Carolina from 1956 until his retirement in 1986. As President, Friday worked to ensure fairness and integrity in the university through the conflicts arising from desegregation and the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s, mediating between a conservative legislature and student activists. His commitment to education enabled the development of an accomplished, excellent faculty at UNC and supported the establishment of rigorous academic standards and the expansion of the university from three to sixteen campuses, fostering the university's reputation as one of the most respected institutions of higher education in the country.

A well-researched and presented site dedicated to the New Zealand film actor Sam Neill, which includes an extensive filmography, a detailed biography (including information on his early career), the latest news and a collection of related articles.

There are two John Henrys - the man and legend surrounding him. Pinning down the legend is not easy; it's as varied as the thousands of people who have studied, sung and recorded it over the years. John Garst, from the University of Georgia, believes that the John Henry legend was born in Alabama. Other scholars believe that the race against the steam drill occurred in West Virginia. Decide for yourself...

Author Paul Green (1894-1981) was one of the South's most revered writers, and one of America's most distinguished. The first playwright from the South to gain national and international recognition, he was part of that remarkable generation of writers who first brought southern writing to the attention of the world. His best known achievements were as a playwright, but he is most renowned as a writer both from the South, as well as a writer of dramatic material about the South. Equal to his literary influence has been his influence on human rights in the South and internationally.